Unexpectedly, Dax’s multifaceted eyes flicked to her face. She felt the impact instantly. At once warmth poured into her mind. She had the sensation of arms surrounding her.
You’re connected to me, Riley. He is not. He reads what I want him to read.
She studied Dax’s face. There was no black scowl, no expression whatsoever. Gary had no cause to be concerned that anything was wrong because Dax appeared to be matter-of-fact.
What’s wrong?
I am a hunter. I have to hunt my own people. I see shadows of darkness where others do not. Mitro had a lifemate and that did not stop him from choosing evil. I do not want to take you into an even more potentially dangerous situation.
Dax directed his attention to Gary, but shifted his body subtly, so that Riley felt his warmth enveloping her. The energy that had felt so intense, much like the volcano’s pressure building in the ground, was gone.
“I recognize only one of them. The one you think of as Zacarias.”
Gary frowned. Dax’s tone was still low, and as mild as ever. The darker energy was gone, yet Gary caught something of Dax’s misgivings. Riley found it strange, but Dax had been in his mind and maybe left an echo behind of his earlier irritation.
“I know he’s considered very dangerous, but if you’re worried he may turn,” Gary said, astute enough to know Dax’s main worry, “Zacarias has a lifemate. He is safe as long as she lives.”
Riley glanced up at Dax. He didn’t change expressions, but she knew Gary’s assurance hadn’t swayed him in the least.
Jubal came up to them, Gary’s pack in hand. “We’d better get moving,” he said with a nod of greeting to Riley and Dax.
“We’d better leave then,” Dax said, effectively terminating the conversation about the other hunters, “if we’re going to make the clearing in time to start transporting people to safety. How big is the helicopter they’re sending?”
“I don’t know, but I doubt it will take all of us on the first trip,” Gary said.
Riley crouched low and sank both hands into the soil, feeling for the vampire. He had been making his way steadily toward the river and leaving, in his wake, death and destruction. Nature shrank from the abomination that was the undead. Around her, the world faded, leaving her in another environment where she could hear the whispers of the rain forest. The trees spoke, grateful for her presence, willing to share information.
The uneasiness that had plagued her earlier was gone—a dark dread that seemed to be a part of her ever since her mother had died. Now, with her hands buried in the comfort of the soil where she was once again close to Annabel’s spirit, she realized that terrible dread was the vampire’s blood calling to hers.
Horrified at that sudden revelation, she jerked her hands from the soil and sank back onto her heels, shuddering with distaste. An ice-cold frisson of revulsion slid down her spine. She had known she was connected in some way to Mitro, but she thought the connection was in the earth, the soil, not in her own body.
What is it, sivamet?
The warmth in Dax’s voice, as it poured into her mind, helped to steady her.
I need a minute. She couldn’t look at Jubal and Gary. They’d helped her so much, stood by her, and all the time, her blood called to the vampire.
“You two take the others and start out,” Dax ordered. “We’ll catch up.”
Jubal glanced down at her, but Dax shifted, gliding in front of her without seeming to have moved. Jubal looked up at the Carpathian, and something flickered in the depths of his eyes that instantly had Dax coiled like a snake ready to strike.
“You okay with that, Riley? Catching up with us?” Jubal asked, in spite of the gathering tension.
“Yes, thank you Jubal for asking,” she answered. Gary and Jubal have looked after me all this time, Dax. There’s no need to get upset because he shows concern for me.
I have never been questioned before, Dax said. I find it difficult to be in the company of anyone other than my lifemate for prolonged lengths of time. I have never spent this much time with others, and it is wearing.
Riley hadn’t considered that. Of course it was difficult for him, he’d spent centuries alone. Even before the volcano, he’d been a hunter of vampires, spending months, even years on his own with no one around. The world was a changed place for him. He had fought for hundreds of years for the protection of his people and then, while he was locked in a volcano, his species had nearly gone extinct.
Jubal lifted his hand and walked away in the direction of the river, shepherding the others to follow Miguel. The professor was carried out, the remaining porters taking turns with the others as they made their way steadily into the rain forest. Within moments, the trees and foliage had swallowed them.
Dax waited until they were gone before crouching down beside her. “Arabejila’s blood runs strong in you. Mitro believes she lives, which is to our advantage.”
She nodded her head. “I understand that, but I didn’t realize it wasn’t only the earth telling me where Mitro has been. I can feel my blood reaching for him.” She took a deep breath, forcing herself to look him in the eye. “It’s disturbing. I want my blood to call to you, not him. It makes me feel dirty.”
Dax gathered her into his arms. “Hän sívamak,” he whispered tenderly. “My beloved. My blood and your blood are forever connected. Our hearts, our minds and our souls are inseparable. As for Arabejila’s blood, as we traveled together, we often were forced to exchange blood. Her blood is why Mother Earth accepted me and granted favors to me. My connection to Mitro is not as strong, but it is there.”
Riley slipped her arms around his neck. “You always know the right thing to say to me to make me feel better. Let’s go find him, Dax. The sooner we find him, the faster we can get on with our life together.”
15
The wind picked up, swirling through the canopy, blowing storm clouds into a churning, riotous mass of spinning dark threads. Lightning forked across the sky, a wicked fork of electricity, lighting the canopy for a brief moment. Thunder rolled, a great boom, shaking the ground. On the heels of the thunder the low moan of the wind rose to wail and then once again died down.
Riley wiped sweat from her face. It was hard to breathe with the ash still clinging to the leaves and flowers. Her boots felt horribly heavy and she made a note to herself to purchase lighter ones next time. Her mind was a little hazy, the hike almost surreal.
Fate had made a terrible mistake. For Riley, tramping through the rain forest at night was an exercise in courage. She tried not to connect with Dax, afraid he’d see how afraid she was of every shadow. Her heart beat so loud she feared Jubal and Gary would both hear it. She wasn’t certain how she got to be the lifemate of a Carpathian warrior, who seemed to have all the courage in the world, when she was afraid of the shadows.
Riley cast a quick look around her at the others as they tramped through the dense vegetation. No one else seemed to be feeling as if at any moment they were going to be devoured by a pack of crazed jaguars leaping out of the shadows. It wasn’t as if she was completely crazy—the coughs and grunts coming from a short distance away told her at least one, mostly two jaguars paced along beside them.
She tried to control her breathing as best she could, but with every step she took, apprehension grew stronger and her chest grew tighter. The jungle seemed much denser, Miguel and Alejandro struggling to hack a path and keep them all on the much-faded trail. The more miles they covered, the more the dread inside her grew and the harder it was to keep the pace the guide had set.
Her night vision was amazing, her restless gaze following the thousands of insects forming a moving carpet under their feet. Everything seemed overly loud to her, especially the persistent drone of insects, and even the bugs took on a sinister quality to her overactive imagination.
Birds screeched in warning to one another, a constant, alarmed communication, unusual for nighttime. Above their heads was continual motion, the flutter of wings, the swish of b
ranches as monkeys leapt from branch to branch as if they, like the jaguars, were following the travelers.
Tree trunks covered in black spikes seemed to leap out of the shadows at them. Oversize leaves, split into razor-sharp fronds, reached for them, driven by the wind. The dread seeping into her made her stomach churn. The sound of the machetes slashing through the screaming branches and foliage only added to her frayed nerves.
Riley and Dax had caught up with the others quickly. He’d simply shifted into a giant bird and taken to the air, carrying Riley until they were close enough to join her fellow travelers. To make better time, Dax took over carrying the professor. He could go for miles without breaking a sweat. She resisted looking over her shoulder at him. He was close, but with the weight of a grown man in his arms, he couldn’t be leaping into action if someone went crazy with a machete or the monkeys ambushed them.
Gary walked directly in front of her. She caught him twice looking over her head, back toward Jubal. They exchanged a knowing look that made her shiver. Okay, she wasn’t entirely losing her mind; they both felt the danger, too, they just reacted better. She put her hand in the pocket of her light jacket, assuring herself the Glock was there should she need it.
Your fear is beating at me, yet you do not allow me to share your mind. What is it?
His voice was always so calm and reassuring.
We don’t make any sense. She would have glared at him if she wasn’t so busy looking in the trees for an imminent attack. Sometimes being so utterly calm was annoying.
Match your heartbeat to mine. Your heart is beating too fast, Dax ordered. In what way don’t we make sense?
Smug male amusement was much worse than calm. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder to glare at him. He wasn’t even breathing hard, while her lungs were burning. He was all muscle and hotness, and her body felt like lead. He didn’t seem to mind that at any moment he might have to pitch the professor into a spiny tree to save the day like some comic book hero.
Comic book hero? Is that how you see me? I must have a cape.
His laughter filled her mind, raw and masculine and unexpected. She found herself smiling just because he was. He’d managed to find his way into her mind when she had been so certain she was closed off to him. He could make her laugh in the worst of circumstances. Ignoring the gathering anxiety pressing down on her, she deliberately began to conjure up an image of Dax in pink tights, a long tunic and a pink cape.
This is what you wish me to wear? He sounded perfectly serious. It is much like the Inca garb. The color might clash with my skin tone.
Riley burst out laughing. Clash with your skin tone? she echoed. Small beads of sweat ran down the valley between her breasts. She had to rub more out of her eyes. What in the world does Gary have going on in his head? You got all your information from him.
Jubal as well. He has sisters. Once again he sounded smug.
She took a deep breath, hoping he’d deny it, but knowing he wouldn’t. You know we’re going to be attacked.
Yes, of course.
Riley stumbled, but caught herself before she fell. She felt light-headed, dizzy enough to sink to the ground in a faint. She bit down hard on her lip, the stinging pain grounding her. You’ve been talking to Jubal and Gary. She made it a statement.
Coordinating what they need to do.
Riley cringed a little at her ridiculous reaction to his matter-of-fact tone. Speaking mind to mind seemed so intimate to her, a secret shared with a lover. Could she be jealous? How utterly beneath her. And in the middle of an incredibly dangerous situation. She was acting like an idiot. She wasn’t even the jealous kind.
She frowned as she walked, counting her steps to clear her mind. There was no buzzing in her mind to indicate the vampire was influencing her as it had the porter who killed her mother. She continued counting each step, finding a rhythm, wishing she could stop and put her hands in the earth. She felt exhausted, and the soil would rejuvenate her.
Riley? Why do you keep cutting yourself off from me? Your heart is still beating too fast.
She shook her head, not wanting Dax in it. She needed to work this out on her own. Her frown deepened. Dax, Jubal and Gary had all agreed that vampires preyed on weaknesses. She was definitely insecure, feeling as if she somehow wasn’t worthy of Dax. To her, he was noble and courageous. He’d sacrificed his life for his people. He’d endured all kinds of suffering and wounds in battle, been completely alone while she’d had a wonderful, happy childhood with every advantage.
At once her mind was flooded with warmth. You have great courage, Riley. There is no other for me, nor will there be.
She got that. She really did. She’d committed to him. She hadn’t gone to sleep insecure, but she’d awakened that way. Her mind turned that over and over. What had been different from the time Dax had carried her back to the others and helped her set up her hammock for the night and when she’d awakened? Something had happened to make her doubt herself, or worse—doubt Dax. What was it? She must have fallen into a trap Mitro had set.
She looked around her at her traveling companions. None of them seemed affected.
Gary turned around abruptly to face her, stopping so fast she ran into him. He caught her shoulders in a steadying grip. “You’re burning up.”
A lump had formed in her throat and when she tried to swallow, she had difficulty. You’re talking to Gary again.
You’re shutting me out.
No remorse. She would have to store that away for future reference. Apparently not, because you’re back in my head again.
Everyone had stopped at some command from Jubal. Dax set the professor down gently on the makeshift travois the guides had made. Riley watched him stride toward her. Her heart leapt toward him. He was impressive any way one looked at it. Sometimes, when she saw him, like now, so confident and purposeful, he intimidated her just a little, yet at the same time, he made her feel safe.
He seemed to get taller as he approached her. His grip on her upper arms was as gentle as ever, yet she knew if she tried to free herself it would be impossible.
“Look at me, sivamet. Into my eyes.”
She was aware that the scales running beneath his skin were very close, which meant he was more upset than his demeanor indicated.
Lightning forked across the sky. The wind howled, sweeping through the trees with deadly intent. The branches swayed, rubbing one another to make a clacking sound that seemed to reverberate through the jungle. Long vines dropped down from the overhead canopy, looking like hangman’s nooses in the dark.
Dax transferred one hand to her chin, tipping her head this way and that, studying her eyes. “You’re ill,” he said.
“The spider bite. That’s the only thing I can think of. Mitro must have had insects waiting to attack me. Can he program them to do that?” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded far away. “I should have known something was wrong when I was acting so out of character.”
“Out of character?” he repeated, catching her when she would have collapsed.
“You know, doubting that I was good enough to be your lifemate. I’m sure I have a high opinion of myself.” She reached up to stroke his jaw. “You really are beautiful, Dax.”
He hissed something between his strong white teeth she couldn’t catch. She seemed to be floating through the air, while several of her travel companions looked on with trepidation on their faces.
She waved at them. “No worries. He has a pink cape,” she assured.
Overhead, the flutter of wings distracted Dax for one moment as he found the spot he was looking for. Crouching low, he looked up as a great horned owl, known as the night tiger, settled on the branches above them. Somewhere in the distance, an eerie scream sent a shiver of goose bumps chasing down the travelers’ spines. They all moved closer together.
“This is my fault, Riley,” Dax said. “This evening I was so eager to be with you that I dismissed the bite as a typical hazard of the rain forest. I took t
he swelling and itch away, without delving deeper.”
Riley looked up at him, her hand stroking his face. “I’m right, aren’t I? Mitro attacked me, didn’t he? I should have known right away. I hate it when I’m slow on the uptake.”
He passed his hand over her face, taking the sheen of sweat from her skin. “I think, in this instance, you were quick figuring it out. You aren’t used to dealing with the undead.” He laid one hand over her heart and the other over the small wound on her hand. “Mitro is clever, and his traps can be subtle.”
Jubal. Gary. Keep an eye on that owl. Be ready to kill it if necessary. Dax sent the order to the two men he felt had a chance of keeping Mitro’s next weapon at bay. He still found it a little disconcerting to rely on humans, but neither man flinched when it came to combat with the vampire’s puppets.
Dax took a deep breath and sent himself outside his body, becoming spirit, a white light of energy, slipping into Riley’s body to track the sliver of poison the spider had injected. Mitro had kept it very subtle so the threat would have time to take hold and spread before anyone noticed. It was very Mitro-like. Most vampires were anything but subtle. Mitro was in a category all his own.
Dax hadn’t known he was lonely until Riley had come into his life. He loved the conversations she had with herself, her smile and the way she would suddenly blurt out that he was beautiful. He also loved that she was intelligent and quick to comprehend the unknown. She didn’t waste time denying what was happening, she took it all in stride, and he admired her for that. Now, moving through her body, she remained quite still, observing what he was doing, but not protesting.
She was already fighting the effects in her mind. He could see the damage there, but Riley was strong, much stronger than Mitro gave her credit for. That was one of the vampire’s weaknesses. He viewed women as inferior to men. He always had. He had underestimated Arabejila, and he would always underestimate Riley, which gave her a small advantage.
Dark Storm ('Dark' Carpathian Series) Page 29
